Escape Into Gotham
by Mystical Jade
Summary: BatmanShadow Lady cross. Some language, nothing too earth-shattering. After De-Mo loses one of the Demon Stones, Shadow Lady must track it down again, before the Demon within reawakens. [Status: Complete]
1. Escape Into Gotham, Part 01

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I do not own the characters in this fanfic. The idea, however, is mine. Enjoy!

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Background Info - Shadow Lady is a manga series by Masakazu Katsura. The series revolves around a painfully shy 18-year old girl named Aimi Komori who has a secret identity: She's a mysterious cat burglar who goes by the name Shadow Lady. Aimi was given this ability in the form of a magical compact, which was given to her by a creature from the Demon World named De-Mo. As Shadow Lady, Aimi is able to overcome her shyness, however her counterpart is a wanted criminal and is sought after by the Gray City police and Aimi's first crush, Detective Bright Honda. The real trouble begins when the Demon World Police Trio - Vin, Luc, and Delon - come after De-Mo to execute him for revealing the secrets of the Demon World to a human. Their ultimatum . . . Shadow Lady must retrieve five all-powerful Demon Stones known as Arch-Demons. Aimi is determined to help De-Mo at any cost, even her own life . . .

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AN - Wow, that was kinda long, but I hope it was helpful for those who have never heard of Shadow Lady. At the end of the 'lil summary, it seems dark, but the series is actually a lot more humorous. This series is worth the read.

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Escape Into Gotham  
Part 1

* * *

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Aimi Komori's apartment building, Gray City

"You what," Aimi screeched. She flopped down on her couch and sighed heavily. After pushing her light purple bangs out of her face, she glared up at Demota, who was currently floating in the air in his demon form. "De-Mo! How could you lose that Demon Stone?"

Demota, whose true form resembles an imp-like creature, floated down to the ground and began to transform into his human form. When he was finished, his appearance was that of a 10-year old boy. "I dunno how it happened, Aimi," he began as he sat down next to her. "I was returning the stone to Vin, and it just… sorta fell outta my hands into a portal," he finished quickly.

Aimi stood up and began to pace around her apartment. "I can't believe you did that, Demota," she began. "I would normally look up to the challenge of retrieving it, but the six-month time limit is almost up! This could be disastrous!"

Demota hung his head and dug his feet into the carpet. "I feel bad enough as it is," he said. "I'm really, really sorry, Aimi."

She stopped pacing and knelt down in front of him. "De-Mo, I'm not mad at you," she began. "It's just that you're like a little brother to me. I don't want you to be executed because we couldn't retrieve all the Demon Stones. You're the only family I have. It's just that our time is short, and I don't want the world to be destroyed if the Arch-Demons break free of their seals." She paused to think, and then looked at Demota. "So, which Demon Stone was it that you lost?"

Demota looked deep into Aimi's brown eyes and swallowed nervously. "It was, um… it was the Arch-Demon Medu," he said in almost a whisper.

"MEDU," Aimi shouted. "_MEDU_, as in the same Arch-Demon that nearly killed me?"

Demota rubbed the ear that Aimi had shouted in. "Geez, Aimi," he grumbled. "For such a shy girl, you sure do have a loud mouth!" He regretted what he said immediately as Aimi's fist met the top of his head. "Ouch," he said as he fell over.

Aimi took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Well, it's not _that_ big of a deal," she said finally. "We'll just get it back. So, where is the stone right now? I'm sure you know that, at least."

Demota picked himself up and pulled out the Demon Stone Detector, which he had created to help locate the stones, out of his pocket. After regarding the contraption, he looked at Aimi. "Well, it's nowhere in Gray City," he began. "According to this, it's in a place called Gotham City."

"Gotham City," she repeated. "And where, exactly, is that?" After a couple of minutes of silence, Aimi began to tap her foot impatiently. "Well? Where is it, De-Mo?"

"In the United States," Demota replied reluctantly. As Aimi fainted, he ran to catch her.

* * *

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Gray City Police Department

"Honda, get in here," Inspector Dory bellowed from his office. Seconds later, Bright Honda, a twenty-five year old detective, came into the room. With his strong physique, and striking good looks, it was easy to tell that he was one of the best officers the Gray City Police Department had to offer.

"Yes, sir," he asked. Bright was transferred from Central to help the Gray City Police capture the ever-elusive Shadow Lady. However, he was taken off of the case when he confessed his love for her, and allowed her to escape. As he stood in front of his supervisor, he became nervous.

"Have a seat, Honda," Dory said, motioning to the empty seat in front of his desk. After he studied the officer for a couple of minutes, he cleared his throat. "As you know, you have been taken off of the Shadow Lady case. Your conduct was extremely unprofessional, and if you weren't such a hotshot detective, I'd have fired you then and there."

"Sir, I know what I did was wrong, but what you were planning to do would have killed her," Bright replied. "Those laser guns are extremely dangerous, and as an Officer of the Law, I couldn't stand by and watch it."

"You're out of line, and I should fire your ass right now," Dory barked as he slammed his fist onto his desk. "However, for some strange reason, the Chief seems to think that given another chance, you'll be able to catch her. So, you're back on the case. Now get home and think up a good plan to capture Shadow Lady."

"Yes, sir," Bright replied. He tried his best to hide the smile that was threatening to break through his serious composure.

"Oh, and Honda," Dory said as Bright turned to leave. He smiled slightly as the other officer stopped. "If you screw up again, you'll be doing paperwork for the rest of your career!"

As Bright closed Inspector Dory's door behind him, he jumped into the air, drawing strange looks from his co-workers. Blushing in embarrassment, he quickly made his way out of the Station and started walking towards his apartment. _"Yes,"_ he thought to himself. "_I finally get the chance to go after Shadow Lady again" _He stopped at a streetlight, and pulled out a wanted poster with Shadow Lady's picture on it. "_I'm going to catch you and make you use those powers of yours for good instead of evil,"_ he thought as the light changed. He walked across the street quickly. Two blocks later, he finally reached his apartment building. As he reached his door, he stopped. "I wonder if Aimi is home," he asked as he looked down towards his feet.

Aimi lived in the apartment directly below his. Bright had saved her from being attacked, and the two had slowly become friends after they had discovered they lived in the same apartment complex. She had been terribly shy around him at first, and he thought that she didn't like him because he had accidentally crashed through the roof of her bathroom with one of his inventions. Slowly, but surely, he chiseled away her shyness, and he finally got her to talk to him.

However, he has yet to discover her deepest secrets.

"I'll tell her tomorrow," he concluded. "I'm sure she'll be glad I'm back on the Shadow Lady case."

* * *

The next morning, as Bright went downstairs from his apartment, he ran into Aimi, who was struggling with some suitcases. "Oh, good morning, Aimi," he greeted. He startled her, and she dropped everything she was holding. "Looks like you could use some help," he said as he helped her with her stuff.

"T-thank you," she stammered. "A-and good morning to you too, Bright."

"You're looking good this morning," he complimented her. He didn't seem to notice as she turned crimson red. "I have some great news," he continued, not noticing the love-stricken look on her face. "I'm back on the Shadow Lady case!"

"What… what do you mean," she asked, totally shocked. "But I… I thought you were kicked off that case!"

"I was," he replied. "But Inspector Dory put me back on the case, under the orders of the Chief. I was really surprised." He smiled at her, and then noticed the frown on her face. "Is something wrong, Aimi?"

"N-no! Nothing's wrong," she said quickly. "It's just that… Isn't chasing after Shadow Lady dangerous?"

"Every assignment is dangerous," Bright replied. "Especially when dealing with a potential suspect in murder." He paused, lowering his voice as he stepped closer to Aimi. "I'm not supposed to talk about the case, but I _saw_ with my own eyes, her standing over his dead body."

As Aimi grew quiet, remembering the events that really happened that night, she began to worry. Bright, who was passing by Klein's mansion, heard the noise from within and went to investigate. As Shadow Lady was about to make her escape, Bright walked in and saw her leaving a very dead Klein laying on the ground. _"With Bright back on the case, he'll be a lot more aggressive when trying to catch Shadow Lady," _she thought to herself. She looked back up towards Bright as he continued speaking.

"With Shadow Lady being a suspect in Mr. Hanayama's murder, the police will be a lot more aggressive towards her," Bright said thoughtfully.

"But the police don't have any proof she committed the crime," Aimi exclaimed. She turned red as Bright looked at her. "I-I mean…"

"No, you have a point, Aimi," he interrupted. "We don't have any real proof she committed any crime. All we have to go by is what I overheard, and the fact that she was in Klein's mansion during the time the crime was committed."

"Bright, do you… Do you think that Shadow Lady is capable of murder," Aimi asked. She looked at him expectantly.

"I don't know why, but I feel as if I can tell you this," Bright began, scratching his chin. "As a police officer, I shouldn't get involved emotionally in a case. However, I feel that Shadow Lady is innocent. I don't think she did anything, except for being in the wrong place at the wrong time… Anyway, I must be boring you to death with all this Shadow Lady talk. Where are you headed off to," he asked, motioning towards her bags.

"Oh, well, uh… I'm… I'm going on a vacation," she stuttered. "I finally saved enough money for my brother and I to go on a short trip." She felt a tinge of guilt as Bright looked at her. When the problem of how Aimi would get the money for a plane ticket to Gotham arose, De-Mo thought up a plan to solve their dilemma: Shadow Lady withdrew some money from the Gray City Main Bank.

"Sounds nice," Bright commented. "I know I sure could use a break!"

"W-well, I'd better go, Bright," Aimi said. "I called a cab, and it should be here soon." As she reached down to retrieve her bags, he picked them up for her.

"The least I could do is help," he said with a smile.

"Thank you, Bright," Aimi said. As the two made their way to the front of the building, Bright set her bags on the ground.

"Do you have everything," Bright asked.

"Um, yes! I've got my tickets in my purse," she replied. _"My compact, too,"_ she added silently as she unconsciously reached into her pocket and brushed her fingers past the magical makeup. Just then, the cab pulled up, and Aimi turned to Bright. "T-thanks for all the help," she said, becoming nervous once again.

"No problem, Aimi," he replied. "Have a great trip. Say, where is your brother? Didn't you say he was going, too?"

"Oh, uh, he's already at the airport," she said. "I sent him ahead so I could get some last-minute things done." The truth, however, was that De-Mo had made a side-trip to the Demon World. He was going to meet Aimi in Gotham, since it would be hard for her to get him a fake passport.

"Well, I guess I'll see you when you get back, then," Bright said. He gave her a small hug, and then stepped away from her. He put her bags in the trunk, where the driver was waiting, while Aimi got into the cab. He stepped away from the curb and waved as the cab pulled away.

Aimi sighed contentedly, and her body tingled all over from Bright's embrace. However, her good mood didn't last for long. Her smile disappeared as a frown took its place. "Leave it up to Inspector Dopey Dory to put Bright back on the Shadow Lady case," she mumbled to herself.

"Where to, miss," the cab driver asked as the car came to a stop at a light, interrupting her thoughts.

"The Gray City Airport, please," she said.

* * *

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Gotham City Abandoned Docks

"Hey Boss, look! You made it in the headlines again," a man said as he entered the room, holding a newspaper. "It says: **POLICE STILL BAFFLED BY STONE VICTIMS**. That's you, Mr. Conaway."

"I told you not to call me that, Vinny," he snapped. "Call me Stonewall. Jimmy Conaway is dead now."

"R-right Mr. Stonewall," Vinny stammered.

"Things couldn't be more perfect for me than they are now," Stonewall began. "For years, that damn Batman has kept me down. For years, I was cold, homeless, and hungry… And for what? Only for me to get caught by that miserable annoyance, in one of the Joker's psychotic schemes. But no more! I have the upper-hand now!"

"So what's our next move, Boss," Vinny asked. Stonewall looked at him, and smirked.

"Now that I found this little prize," he replied, placing a hand on an ancient-looking relic, "I will bring Batman, and this whole damn city to its' knees!"

"That's a great plan, Boss," Vinny replied nervously as Stonewall began to laugh maniacally. He stopped his laughter suddenly, and looked over at his henchman.

"You know what, Vinny? I do need to exercise my powers a little more," he stated. "And I know the perfect way to get rid of both Batman and any other annoyances."

"And how's that, Boss," Vinny asked. Stonewall smiled evilly as his plan began to fully develop.

* * *

Meanwhile, Batman was standing in Commissioner Gordon's office. He was standing by the window, gazing out at _his_ city. Deep in thought, he turned away from the window, and looked at the Commissioner. "Do you have any clues as to who is committing these crimes, Jim," he asked.

"No clue at all, Batman," the Commissioner replied. "This isn't your normal perpetrator. He doesn't seem to want anything at all. The only places he has hit are the banks, and the Gotham City Mint. It just doesn't make sense. These robberies are too sporadic. This case has both Bullock and Montoya stumped."

"Bullock and Montoya are on the case," Batman asked.

"That's right," he replied. "But the thing is that there are no witnesses to these crimes. They happen in broad daylight, but all witness are somehow turned to stone, and the surveillance systems are destroyed."

"No tapes were recovered?"

The Commissioner shook his head, sighing as he rubbed his temples. "I have two of my best detectives on this case, and they can't do anything at all."

"Sooner or later, he's bound to come after you or Mayor Hill," Batman replied. "And when that happens, I'll be prepared. Nightwing and Batgirl will keep an eye on you. And since the Mayor is a more likely target, Robin and I will stake out there."

"Great plan, Batman," Gordon began as he walked over to the file cabinet. "I'll have some of my men sent over to the Mayor's house. This guy would have to be a complete nut to..." He stopped as he realized Batman was no longer in the room. "I'm never going to get used to that," he mumbled to himself as he settled back down in his chair. He looked up as a knock sounded at his door. "Come in."

"Hey Daddy," a red-haired girl greeted as she entered the room.

"Barbara, sweetheart, it's good to see you," he exclaimed as he stood to embrace his daughter, chuckling as she kissed his cheek. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I was just in the neighborhood, and I wanted to see the most handsome police officer in the precinct," Barbara said.

"Well, it certainly is good to see your face," he replied, returning to his seat. She followed him to his desk, stopping behind him.

"Any luck breaking this new case, Daddy," she asked as she massaged his shoulders.

"None at all," he replied. "The only thing we can do is keep the stone victims safe. If there's a way to return all these people to normal, we'll need to keep the statues out of harms' way." He grabbed her hands from his shoulder and turned around to face her. "Barbara, I want you to stay off of the streets until this case is solved."

"Dad, I've got to go to school," she replied. "I can't stay locked up at home, you know!"

"I know, honey," he said with a sigh. "It's just that I can't stand the thought of having you turned to stone. And if there's not any way to reverse the affects…"

"Oh, you worry too much," she exclaimed. "But if it puts your mind at ease, I'll be extra careful." Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw a shadow in the window. However, when she went to look, there was nothing there. _"That's strange,"_ she thought to herself. _"I could have sworn I saw something. It almost looked like a bat…"_

"Barbara, did you hear what I just said," Gordon asked, interrupting her thoughts. He shook his head slightly, as she turned away from the window with a confused look on her face. "I said, would you like an escort home?"

"No thanks, Daddy," she replied. "I'll see you when you get home!" She kissed him on the cheek and smiled as she went out the door.

Outside of the window, De-Mo was pressed against the side of the building, as flat as possible. "Phew, that was a close one," he said in a low voice. "What a beautiful girl! Maybe I should follow her home instead of looking for that Demon Stone. It would give me something interesting to do until Aimi gets here. But I know what she would say," he added with a sigh. He looked at the Demon Stone Detector. "Well, what that guy said makes sense as to why this thing is reacting to this building. All of those statues must be giving off vibes from Medu's powers." He looked at his watch and sighed. "Aimi's plane should be here by morning. Then all the real fun will begin."

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To Be Continued . . .


	2. Escape Into Gotham, Part 02

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I don't own the rights to any of the characters in this story. The idea, however, is mine. Enjoy!

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If you're unfamiliar with Shadow Lady, take a look at the description of the manga series in part one of this fanfic. Otherwise, tread ahead and read on!

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Escape Into Gotham  
Part 2

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Gotham City Airport

After Aimi had gone through customs, she was waiting for Demota in the Baggage Claim area. The airport was relatively empty because of the early morning hour, and she was beginning to worry. "Where could he be," she asked out loud. "What if he's hurt, or what if he never made it here?" She set her bags on the ground near a chair and sat down. _"Or what if he never made it out alive from the Demon World,"_ she thought to herself. Tears began to form in her eyes. "_And if that's the case, they'll come after me next."_

"Are you okay, miss," a security guard, who was passing by, asked.

"I'm fine," she replied. "I'm just waiting for a friend, thank you." She sighed in relief as the guard went on his way. "Well, I can't just sit here," she continued, after the man was gone. "I bet De-Mo is off somewhere causing trouble!" She picked up her purse, and looked at her bags. "No one will take these, I bet. I'll just leave them here." She left her bags in the Baggage Claim Area, and then walked back towards her arrival gate. As she rounded the corner, she ran into another person, and the contents of her purse fell out.

"Are you okay," a man asked her.

"Yes, I'm fine," she responded. She began to pick up her belongings, and the man bent down to help her. After they had picked up everything, the man helped her to her feet. She looked up towards him, and began to blush. _"Oh my God, he's so cute,"_ she thought to herself.

"I didn't see you rounding that corner like that," he continued. He extended his hand, and smiled. "I'm Bruce Wayne."

Aimi took his hand, and turned a deeper shade of red. "I-I'm A-Aimi K-Komori," she stammered, mentally kicking herself for sounding so nervous. "N-nice to m-meet you."

"Likewise," Bruce replied with his dazzling smile. "You aren't from around here, are you?"

"Um, n-no," Aimi said. "How did you…"

"You have an accent," he interrupted politely. "Is this your first time in Gotham?"

"Yes, it is," she said. "I've only been here for about half an hour." Just then, she saw Demota from the corner of her eye.

"There you are, Aimi," Demota exclaimed. "I've been looking for you all over the place! I thought that you were going to meet me here?" At that moment, he noticed Bruce. "Who's your friend?"

"This is Mr. Wayne," she replied. "Mr. Wayne, this is my brother, Demota."

"Please, just call me Bruce," he said. He looked beyond Aimi as a boy carrying a suitcase came up behind her. "There you are, Tim."

"Hey Bruce," he greeted.

"Tim, this is Aimi and Demota," Bruce said. "Meet Tim Drake." As the three exchanged their hellos, Bruce looked at his watch, and then looked back at Aimi. "Well, it was nice to meet the both of you. I hope you enjoy your stay in Gotham."

"Thank you," Aimi replied. "I hope so, too."

"Come on, Tim," Bruce said. "Alfred is waiting for us." As the duo walked off, Aimi sighed.

"Do you know who that was, Aimi," Demota exclaimed. "That was Bruce Wayne, as in Wayne Enterprises. He's filthy rich!"

As Demota went on and on about Bruce's money, Aimi wasn't paying much attention. _"Wow, what a build,"_ she thought to herself. _"Those gorgeous blue eyes, that dreamy smile…"_

"Aimi, are you listening to what I'm saying," Demota asked. "When we're done with all this Demon Stone business, we'll have to come back here, find out where he lives, and help ourselves to his fortune! Forget about all that quitting Shadow Lady talk!"

"Sure, De-Mo," she said in a distant voice.

Demota looked up at her for the first time. "Hello, De-Mo to Aimi! Did you hear what I just said," Demota asked. "Are you agreeing to keep being Shadow Lady once we get all the Demon Stones, then?"

"What did you say," she asked, coming out of her trance.

"I knew that would get your attention," he replied. "Looks like Bruce has taken Bright's place in your heart. I didn't think you were the fickle type."

"Don't be silly, De-Mo," Aimi replied, smacking him in the process. "No one can take Bright's place… Anyway, De-Mo, I need some rest before tonight. Let's go get my bags."

"Now you're talking," Demota said. "I've got some stuff to tell you. I might have a lead on where the Demon Stone is."

* * *

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East Gotham Hotel

Later that night, after Aimi had rested the whole day, she was sitting in front of the mirror. Demota had told her what he had overheard from Commissioner Gordon's office. "Well, I guess we should get going, then," Aimi stated. She pulled the magical compact out of the drawer she had put it in before she laid down to rest, and set it down on the vanity.

"Right, Boss," Demota said as he transformed into his demon form. "I'm ready when you are."

Aimi looked at De-Mo, and smiled. She opened her compact and applied the Midnight Basic Shadow to her eyelids. She began to glow as her transformation began. When it was done, Shadow Lady stood in Aimi's place. "Let's hit it, De-Mo," she exclaimed, straightening out her ridiculously short, tight dress, and fixing her silver hair.

"You look good, Shadow Lady," De-Mo commented.

"I always look good," she replied with a wink. She was wearing a sleeveless leather dress and in the middle of her chest, her bust was exposed. She had on leather boots that came up to her mid-thigh and leather gloves that went up past her elbow, but stopped before her shoulder. Her accessories included earrings, a headband to hold up her hair, a wristband on her left wrist (which held the Shadow Lady compact), and wings. Her entire ensemble was black, except for the tips of her wings and the symbol on her chest, which were silver, and her wristband, which was silver and blue where the compact was. The two left their hotel room via the window, and made their way to the roof as they climbed up the fire escape ladder.

"This sure is a big city," De-Mo commented as he gazed at the city.

"Sure is, but I know we'll be able to find the Demon Stone," she replied. "We have to."

"Hey, what's that," De-Mo asked. As Shadow Lady looked up into the air where De-Mo was pointing to, she saw a spotlight in the sky with the symbol of a bat in the middle of it.

"Well, that's strange," she said. "It could mean something, so let's go check it out!" She began to jump from building to building, heading in the direction of the source of the light. Five minutes later, the two were standing on the roof of a building adjacent to the source of the light. "A police station," Shadow Lady asked as they stood in the shadows.

"Hey, this is where I learned about the location of the statues," De-Mo exclaimed. Just then, two figures flew overhead and landed on the police building, and a white-haired man turned off the spotlight. "Hey, that's the guy I heard talking last night," De-Mo said. "But who are the other two?"

"Let's get a closer look," Shadow Lady exclaimed. She jumped over to the other building, careful to stay in the safety of the shadows. She pushed herself against the side of the wall, straining to hear what was being said.

"Thanks for coming so soon, Batman," the white-haired man said. "I know you're busy with this case."

"No problem, Commissioner Gordon. Batgirl and Nightwing are keeping an eye on the Mayor for now," Batman replied. "What's going on?"

"Well, I got an interesting fax from a place called Gray City, and I thought you should hear about it," he continued. "Apparently, a woman who calls herself Shadow Lady has come here as a fugitive. She's wanted for murder in the first degree."

"What connection does that have with me," Batman asked, crossing his arms. "Or this case?"

"I'm getting to that part," the Commissioner replied. "Apparently, about a month ago, a similar crime spree happened there, only it involved the disappearance of young women, and the police only found a couple of stone victims. The case was solved, and the missing women were found. Now it's a stretch, but there may be a connection between the stone victims here, and Shadow Lady's appearance." He handed over a piece of folded paper to the other man. "This wanted poster also came with the fax. It will help ID her, if you ever come across her."

"I'll keep this in mind," Batman said as he studied the paper. "Thank you, Commissioner. This might prove to be useful information."

"You're welcome," Gordon replied. "If I come across any other information, I'll contact you." He nodded his head, and then disappeared back into the building, leaving Batman and Robin on the roof.

"What do you think this means, Batman," Robin asked, trying to get a look at the paper.

"I don't know, Robin," he replied, folding the paper and putting it away in his utility belt. "It's probably nothing. Just in case it is something, I'll let Nightwing and Batgirl know about this." The dynamic duo (_sorry_, I couldn't help it) took their grappling hooks off their belts, and then disappeared into the night. After they were out of sight, Shadow Lady stepped out from her hiding space and let out a disgusted scream.

**"De-mo, how could you do this,"** she yelled. She grabbed the little imp-like creature by his wings and began to shake him.

"I just thought we could liven up our little journey, that's all," he gasped. "I didn't know they had some costumed nut running around… uh, no offense."

"None taken," she replied, releasing him. "Well, he shouldn't be any more of a problem than Dopey Dory and his goons were." She glared at De-Mo, and then shrugged her shoulders. "As if the time limit wasn't challenge enough. Oh well, it's just our lives, right," she asked sarcastically. "Where is the Demon Stone right now?"

"It's somewhere down by the abandoned docks," De-Mo replied. "I followed the signal last night, but I didn't want to barge into the place by myself. I needed that Shadow Lady flare!"

"You're such a chicken, De-Mo," she replied with a smile. "Well, since we know where the stone is, how about we get to know Batman a little better?" Before De-Mo could even answer, Shadow Lady had already gone in the direction Batman had disappeared in. De-Mo sighed and followed her.

* * *

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Mayor Hamilton Hill's Mansion

"So this Shadow Lady might have some connection to the crimes here," Batgirl asked. Batman had just finished telling Batgirl and Nightwing what the Commissioner had told him.

"Yes, but if she is hiding somewhere in Gotham, she'll keep a low profile," Batman replied. "You should still keep an eye on Commissioner Gordon."

"Right," Nightwing stated, gunning the engine of his motorcycle. Batgirl climbed onto the back of the bike, and the duo rode off towards the police station.

"Come on, Robin," Batman said as he hooked onto one of the stone gargoyles on the roof of the mansion. As Robin followed his mentor, Shadow Lady and De-Mo stepped out from their hiding place in the trees.

"Well, should we take the direct approach, or make him come and find us," De-Mo asked.

Shadow Lady turned to him and grinned. "I just love a good game of hide-and-seek, don't you," she asked. For what seemed like the thousandth time that night, De-Mo sighed and followed Shadow Lady as she slipped into the house through a vent, undetected. As the two entered the mansion, and took in the contents of the room, Shadow Lady uttered a low whistle. "This place is huge!"

"Where to start, where to start," De-Mo said, his eyes growing big as he rubbed his hands together in anticipation. He looked to the left, and smiled. "That might be a good place." Shadow Lady turned in the direction he was looking in.

"De-Mo, that looks like it leads to the kitchen," she replied.

"I know," he said. "But I'm starving! I've been running errands all day." Shadow Lady waved him away and then looked towards a flight of stairs as he left.

"Where does this lead," she asked. She climbed the stairs slowly, searching for something that could possibly trigger an alarm. She reached the top of the stairs, and looked both left and right. Choosing left, she began to walk down the hallway. As she passed an open door, she stopped and looked in. The room had paintings covering the walls, however set up in the middle of the room was some sort of relic encased in glass. "Is that the Demon Stone?" Stepping into the dimly lit room, she inched closer to the glass case, and as she realized it wasn't what she was looking for, she sighed. "No, of course not. It's down in the…"

"I'm surprised you showed up here," a voice interrupted from behind her. She spun around as a lone figure stepped out into the open. He stood to his full height, and narrowed his eyes. "You're Shadow Lady, I presume."

"And you would be presuming correctly," she replied. "Yes, I'm Shadow Lady." She turned her back to him and glanced at the paintings. "You know, I have no interest in any of this stuff. Or your Mayor," she added as an afterthought. "I'm more interested in you, Batman."

"What are you after," Batman asked.

Shadow Lady frowned as she realized Batman wasn't reacting to her flirting as she had hoped. "Hmm, another hard-ass," she said nonchalantly, moving towards Batman, putting a little swing to her hips as she walked. She smiled up at him and began tracing her finger across the bat emblem on his chest. "I'll just have to soften you up a little." She gasped as he grabbed her wrist. "What the hell's your problem?"

"I want to know why you're here," Batman replied gruffly. "And in this house of all places. What you did in your town is none of my business, but here, I make _your_ business _my_ business."

She struggled against his grip futilely, and groaned angrily. "I told you already," she said. "I'm not interested in anything in this house!"

Batman brought his face close to Shadow Lady's face and narrowed his eyes even more, if possible. "That's the wrong answer," he replied.

"I don't think so," she retorted. She pulled back from him as far as she could and placed her feet on his chest. Then, using all of her strength, she fell backwards and flipped him over. In his surprise, Batman let go of her wrist as he went sailing through the air. She scrambled to her feet, and ran out the room. As she was running down the stairs, she ran into another person, and the impact sent both of them falling down the rest of the flight. Shadow Lady let out a surprised cry as she hit the floor. The other person, however, had landed on his feet.

"Are you ok," he asked. He helped her stand, and then gasped once he got a good look at her. "It's you!" Shadow Lady stiffened at those two words, and looked up towards the man. He was wearing a blue and black suit, and was wearing a black mask over his eyes. She quickly stepped away from him and sighed.

"Oh great," she mumbled. "And who are you? A friend of Batman's, I'm guessing."

"I'm Nightwing," he replied. "But I don't need to ask who you are, Shadow Lady."

"Shadow Lady, are you ok," De-Mo asked frantically as he emerged from the kitchen. "I heard this loud noise, and… Uh oh."

"Uh oh is right, De-Mo," Shadow Lady replied. "Find the quickest way out of here!"

De-Mo looked around, and saw a window above them. "Well, up would be the quickest way," he stated as he began to float upwards.

"Don't worry about escaping," Nightwing said. "You can't possibly get away."

"Is that so," she asked with a grin. "Layering has saved me in the past, and it will save me now!"

"Layering? What are you talking about," Nightwing asked, confused. She smiled secretively, and then rubbed each of her eyelids. In a flash of light, Nightwing was blinded. "Aah!"

"Saffron Bird Shadow, never leave home without it," Shadow Lady exclaimed. This "shade of make up" gave her the qualities of a bird, and she joined De-Mo in the air with a flap of her wings.

"An expert change," De-Mo said as she flew next to him. "Great idea, Shadow Lady."

"Let's just get out of here, De-Mo," she replied as she looked down at Nightwing. She frowned slightly as he rubbed his eyes. "He won't be blinded for long."

By the time Batman finally got downstairs, Shadow Lady and De-Mo were already gone. Sensing Batman's presence, Nightwing mentioned the opened window above. Batman stood next to Nightwing, who was still rubbing his eyes, and stared up at the ceiling. "You let her get away," he said simply, looking at his former pupil.

"Yeah, well she did something and a bright flash of light blinded me," Nightwing growled as his sight finally returned. "Not even you would have been prepared for that."

"Expect the unexpected," Batman quoted. "I've always taught you that." He paused to glare at Nightwing, and then looked around the room. "Where's Batgirl, and why did you come back here?"

"She's at the police station," he replied. "As for why I came back here, I don't know. I had a feeling I should come back." He paused, and then added smugly, "You also taught me to act on instinct." Batman glared at him, but said nothing. An eerie silence settled between them as they walked to the outside of the mansion. As Batman walked over to the Batmobile, where Robin was waiting, Nightwing stopped. "Where are you going?"

"Get in the car, Robin," Batman said as he got in the driver's side. As he got in, the phone rang. "Yes, Alfred," he asked as he pushed a button.

"I just got an urgent message from Batgirl," Alfred began. "You should get to the police department as fast as you can." As Batman closed the link, the Batmobile's engine roared to life.

"You stay here, Nightwing," Batman said. "I'll be in touch." The top of the vehicle slid closed, and then it sped off.

Nightwing watched as the Batmobile disappeared, and let out a sigh. "This is going to be a long night."

__

To Be Continued…


	3. Escape Into Gotham, Part 03

****

I don't own the rights to any of the characters in this story, nor do I claim them. The idea, however, is mine. Enjoy!

AN- _If you're unfamiliar with Shadow Lady, take a look at the description of the manga series in part one of this fanfic. Otherwise, tread ahead and read on!_

****

Escape Into Gotham  
Part 3

* * *

__

East Gotham Hotel

Aimi opened her eyes and slowly rose to a sitting position. She regretted it immediately as pain shot up her side. "God, I hurt all over," she mumbled to herself. It was the following morning after her encounter with Batman, and her body screamed for her to just go back to sleep. She looked towards the other bed in the room and noticed that De-Mo was not there. "Demota, where are you," she called out. She could smell food cooking. She winced in pain as she stood up and walked towards the small kitchen that was in the room. "Demota?"

"Good morning, Aimi," he greeted from the stove. He looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "Do you think you should be up and walking around? You got pretty banged up last night from that fall."

"I'll be fine, De-Mo," she replied. "Nothing a warm bath won't fix. Besides, I really need to go to the library."

"Really, why," he asked.

Aimi frowned as she thought about her reason. "I need to do some research on Batman. I'm sure some information about him is archived at the library. He's not as easily distracted by Shadow Lady's charm as the Gray City police are, and I don't like that. He can really cause some trouble for us and our mission."

"I wouldn't worry about him so much, Aimi," De-Mo replied. "Let's just get the Demon Stone and get out of here."

"That's just the thing, De-Mo," she said as she slowly made her way to the window. "He said that he would make Shadow Lady's business his business, so I wouldn't doubt if he kept an eye out for her." She leaned against the windowsill and sighed. "I should have just listened to you last night. We should have gotten the stone then. I would be on a plane right now, on my way back to Bright."

"Well, don't beat yourself up about it," De-Mo stated. "Go take your bath, and we'll go down to the library after we eat."

She smiled warmly at him. "Thank you, De-Mo," she said. She began walking stiffly towards the bathroom, but stopped. "Oh, and don't you even dare try your peeping-tom act this morning." She laughed as he stuck his tongue out at her.

"What makes you so sure I'm going to try it today," he asked.

"If you spend enough time around a pervert like you, you get to know his habits," she replied as she disappeared into the bathroom. De-Mo shrugged his shoulders, and then turned back to what he was cooking.

* * *

__

Gotham Public Library

Aimi rubbed her eyes as she sat back in her chair. She was sitting at the microfiche table, looking through past newspaper articles about Batman. "I didn't know there was so much stuff about him," she mumbled. "It puts Shadow Lady to shame!" She looked up as Demota came running towards her.

"Aimi, look at today's paper," he exclaimed as he threw the paper on the table.

"**DETECTIVE BULLOCK TURNED TO STONE**," she read the headline out loud. She looked up at Demota and then continued reading the article silently. When she was finished, she let out a sigh. "This is horrible," she exclaimed. "Whoever has the stone must be a lunatic! He wants to get caught, so he can use Medu's powers... We've got to find him soon, De-Mo."

"True," Demota stated. "The more Medu's powers are used, the weaker the seal is, and the stronger he becomes. And if he breaks loose of the seal again, we won't be able to put him back."

Aimi shuddered. "I really don't want to have to fight him again," she said. "I would never be able to get him back in there. As the saying goes: Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice..."

"…Shame on me," a man finished from the side. Aimi jumped, and then looked towards the owner of the voice. "Sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop," he continued.

Aimi's looked over at De-Mo nervously, and then looked at the man angrily. "Well, how long were you standing there," she demanded. "And what did you overhear?"

"I was just passing by, honest," the man said, placing his hands in the air in his defense. "My mother used to tell me that saying all the time, and I couldn't help but to finish it." He shook his head, and then looked back at her. "Where are my manners? I'm Dick Grayson," he said as he extended his hand.

"Aimi," she replied, shaking his hand. "Aimi Komori."

"I'm really sorry if I offended you, Ms. Komori," he said.

"It's okay," she replied, blushing with embarrassment. "I'm sorry I rose my voice like I did."

"No problem. I understand completely," he replied. He looked down at the newspaper and then back at her. "It's a shame about Detective Bullock." His statement took her by surprise.

"Yes, it is," she replied. She thought for a moment, and then added, "How much do you know about the Batman the article refers to?"

* * *

"Mr. Stonewall," Vinny said as he walked up behind his boss. The two men were in the abandoned docks, where Stonewall was exercising his powers on empty crates. Vinny flinched as Stonewall turned a crate near his foot into stone. "Mr. Stonewall, you made the headlines again."

"Of course I did," he replied, zapping a bird that flew overhead. It fell to the ground and shattered. "I'm the talk of the town!" An aura surrounded him as he gathered energy around himself, and threw his newfound power towards a rotting dock.

"What should be done next," Vinny asked. Stonewall turned towards the man and narrowed his bloodshot eyes. He was a stocky man with a rugged appearance. His dark, unruly hair blew in the wind, and a jagged scar ran down his cheek. Where his clothes were once loose, they now stretched over seemingly well-toned muscles.

"Bullock was only the beginning," he replied in a gruff, edgy voice. "Now all I need to do is take down the Batman, and I can truly rule this city. But I won't have to stop there. I can rule the whole world if I want!"

"Mr. Stonewall," Vinny began nervously, shifting from one foot to the other, "I noticed you look tired. I think you should get some rest. You can't go up against Batman in your state."

Stonewall stalked over towards Vinny and picked him up by his collar. "Would a man who's tired be able to do this," he demanded, shaking the other man for emphasis.

"I-I guess not, sir," he stammered. Stonewall dropped him, and Vinny stood back up on shaky legs.

"Is there anything useful you have to say," Stonewall asked, turning away from the other man.

"Yeah, boss," Vinny replied. "There's a rumor flying around the police station about some dame who's on the run."

"What does that have to do with me," he demanded.

"She could be a rival, but might be an ally," Vinny continued. "She's wanted for something similar to what you're doing. According to what I heard, she calls herself Shadow Lady."

"For her sake, she'd better not be a rival," Stonewall said. "Or I'll crush her, as well."

* * *

"That's all I know about Batman," Dick said, finishing up a brief description of the Dark Knight. A very non-descriptive version, anyway. He took a sip of his coffee, and waited for Aimi's reaction. The two had left the library, and decided to talk over coffee.

"So he's the protector of the city," she replied. "That's weird."

"Well, you get used to it after a while," he commented with a shrug. He paused, and then looked at her strangely. "I was pretty sure everyone knew about Batman, though."

"Oh, I'm from out-of-town! I'm visiting my uncle," Aimi quickly lied. "So that's why I had never heard of him." She sighed in relief, as he seemed to believe her story, and then cleared her throat, gaining his attention. "Um, when I was looking through the microfiche, it mentioned a Batgirl, Robin, and Nightwing. Are they around the city, too?"

"Every once in a while, they'll show up. Most of the time, however, you'll only see the silhouettes of Batman and Robin." He paused, and then looked at Aimi. "I hope I'm not prying, but why do you have such an interest in Batman," he asked.

"I just wanted to know a little bit more about the history of the city. That's all," she replied. She looked up at him, hoping her answer sounded convincing, and began to squirm under his intense - or was it a scrutinizing? - gaze. _"It's almost as if he's analyzing me,"_ she thought to herself. "Is something wrong," she asked out loud.

"No, sorry," he replied, shaking his head. "I didn't mean to stare, Ms. Komori."

"Oh, just call me Aimi," she exclaimed. She sighed inwardly as he looked away from her and took another sip of his coffee. She took some money from her purse and stood up. "Thank you for the information, and for your time. I should go back to my brother, now."

Dick stood up as well. "No problem, Aimi," he replied. "I hope we meet again."

"You never know. Maybe we will," she said with a smile. She took a deep bow, and then began to make her way back towards the library and Demota.

* * *

__

Aimi's room, East Gotham Hotel

Later that night, after Aimi and Demota had talked about what Dick had told her, Shadow Lady and De-Mo stood ready for the night's task. "Now that I know a little bit more about Batman, it should be a little easier to avoid him," Shadow Lady said. "And if I can't, I'll at least know how to handle him this time."

"Hopefully, we'll be able to just get the stone without any problems," De-Mo said. "It hasn't been in the city that long, so the person who has it probably can't fully use its' powers. Klein had the stone for weeks, maybe even months, and that's why he was so hard to defeat."

"Then what do you say we do some Demon Stone hunting," Shadow Lady replied. The duo left the room through the window, and once again made their way to the roof. Shadow Lady stretched to try to make the ache of her muscles go away, and as she did so, she got an idea. "De-Mo, follow me!" She bounded off from rooftop to rooftop, until she reached her destination. She peeked in through the window from her perch on the windowsill.

"What are we doing here," De-Mo asked through clenched teeth. "We need to go towards the docks!"

"Trust me! I'm going to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak," she replied as she crawled in through the window. She crept up behind a man sitting at a desk, and as her shadow fell upon him, he spoke.

"Batman, I'm glad you're here," the man began.

"It's not Batman, Commissioner Gordon," Shadow Lady said. Gordon spun around and reached towards his gun on his strap. "Oh no you don't," she exclaimed. She reached towards him faster than he could even blink, and grabbed his gun. She pulled off the clip, and threw it into a corner.

"What are you doing in my office," he demanded.

"Now that's not very hospitable," she scolded as she took a seat on his desk. She crossed her legs and smiled at him. "I'm only here to ask you a teeny, tiny favor."

"I don't help criminals," he stated.

"Criminal is such a harsh word, Mr. Commissioner," she replied with a mock hurt expression on her face. "I'll let it slide, though. I know you're upset about one of your men being turned into stone. I can help, though." She jumped off the desk, and walked around towards him. Turning his chair away from his desk, she straddled his lap. "Under one condition, of course," she added as she began fiddling with his tie.

"Now see here," he sputtered.

"Oh, don't be so uptight, Commish," she exclaimed, tightening his tie. "All I need for you to do is keep Batman off my case. I can't help you if he's breathing down my neck." She leaned closer to him, and batted her eyelashes. "Do you think you could do that for me?" She turned her head as a knock came from the door. "I guess that's my cue to leave." She stood up and planted a kiss on his cheek. As she made her way towards the window, the door opened.

"Daddy, I just thought you could use some dinner," Barbara said as she entered the room. She noticed Shadow Lady and gasped. "Dad, are you alright?" Shadow Lady turned from the window and smiled at the redhead.

"Your father and I were just having a little heart to heart. Nothing to worry about," she said with a secretive smile. "Don't forget what I said, Mr. Commissioner." And with that, she was gone.

"Dad, what was that all about," Barbara asked, rushing to his side.

"It was about Batman," he replied. "I've got to get in touch with him."

* * *

Across from the Station, Nightwing noticed movement from Commissioner Gordon's office. "That's weird," he mumbled to himself. He took out his binoculars to get a better look, and saw a person. The figure jumped down from the window, and as it came into focus, he smiled. "Gotcha!" He took the grappling hook from his belt and followed the figure towards the ground...

"That was great, De-Mo," Shadow Lady exclaimed. "Now the rest of our mission should be a piece of cake! With Batman out of the way, we won't run into any problems."

"I beg to differ," Nightwing said from above them. By the time Shadow Lady looked up, it was too late for her to dodge the bat-rope that came flying towards her. It wrapped around her, tying her up.

"Hey, what the hell?! What do you think you're doing," she demanded as Nightwing landed on the ground next to her. "De-Mo, I could use a little help here!"

"Do you mean him," Nightwing asked as he held her partner up in the air, an apologetic look on his face. Nightwing smiled as she glared at him. "Now, what did you mean by what you said? What have you done, and where is Batman?"

"We didn't do anything to him," De-Mo stated as he struggled against Nightwing's grip. "Now let me go!"

"Well, how about I take you in, and we can see about that," Nightwing said. As he was about to contact Batman via the batlink, a scream pierced the air. "Now what," he mumbled under his breath.

"Sounds like it came from the police building," Shadow Lady stated. Somehow, De-Mo had gotten out of Nightwing's grasp, and he looked at the Demon Stone detector.

"Uh, Shadow Lady, this thing is going crazy," he said. "I think it's up there."

Shadow Lady's eyes widened, and she looked at Nightwing. "I suggest you get out of here as fast as you can," she warned. "You really don't want to be here right about now." She shifted her shoulders slightly, and the rope around her fell down around her ankles. "Let's go, De-Mo," she said as she bounded towards the front of the police station building.

Nightwing looked up towards the building as a flash of light came from the window. "Batman," he said through the communicator, "I think we've got trouble. Get over to the Station fast." With that, he ran in the direction Shadow Lady went.

Meanwhile, inside the station, chaos had broken loose. Police officers were running around, trying to avoid the blasts that were turning cops into statues left and right. Montoya, and her temporary new partner Jeremy Davis, were using her desk as a barricade.

"I've got to warn the Commissioner," Montoya said. "I really need a distraction so I can get up to his office! What kind of nut would attack the police station?"

"I'll distract him while you get up there," Davis replied.

"No, it's too dangerous," she exclaimed. "I saw what that… that _monster_ did to Bullock, and I'm not going to risk something like that happening to a rookie!" On the night that Bullock was turned to stone, Stonewall had told both Bullock and Montoya his name. He had allowed Montoya to escape so that she could report back to Commissioner Gordon.

"You don't have a choice," Davis said. He stood up, and pointed his gun towards Stonewall. "Freeze!" When Stonewall kept advancing towards Davis, the officer opened fire. His bullets seemed to bounce off of an invisible shield of some sort. "What the hell," he exclaimed as he opened fire again.

Stonewall smirked and pointed his hand towards Davis. Montoya peered out from the side of the table right as Stonewall turned her partner into a statue.

"Davis, no," she screamed. She left her hiding spot, and made a mad dash for the stairs. Stonewall saw her, and shot some of his power at her. She tripped, but quickly picked herself up and ran up the stairs. Stonewall smirked again, and slowly headed in the same direction.

As Montoya was making her way up the stairs, she felt her legs getting heavier. As she looked down at her feet, she gasped. Her shoe had been turned to stone, and it was creeping up her leg. Finally, with a lot of effort, she made it to Commissioner Gordon's office. "Commissioner," she exclaimed as she burst into his office, startling both him and his daughter.

"Montoya, what's going on down there," he demanded, watching as the officer frantically closed and locked the door. "I was about to come and see for myself."

"You can't, Sir," she replied. "Stonewall's in the building. You've got to get out of here!" They heard a crash in the hall, and she pulled out her gun and pointed it towards the door. "Please forgive me, Sir, for not being able to protect you." By this time, the stone had spread all over her body, and she, too, was turned to a stone statue.

Gordon clenched his jaw, and turned to his daughter. "Quickly, Barbara," he said. "Get out of here!"

"Not without you, Dad," she replied. They both looked towards the door as it was kicked in.

__

To Be Continued . . .


	4. Escape Into Gotham, Part 04

****

I don't own the rights to any of the characters in this story, nor do I claim them. The idea, however, is mine. Enjoy!

__

If you're unfamiliar with Shadow Lady, take a look at the description of the manga series in part one of this fanfic. Otherwise, tread ahead and read on!

****

Escape Into Gotham  
Part 4

* * *

"Oh God, De-Mo, I hope we're not too late," Shadow Lady said breathlessly as she ran up the stairs. The two had made it inside the building, and had run past all the statues of police officers. "The more this guy uses Medu's powers, the harder he'll be to defeat. If I had only listened to you last night!"

"Come on, Shadow Lady! Let's just get up to the Commissioner's office, first," De-Mo pressed. As they drew nearer to the top of the stairs, a flash of light came from one of the offices.

"We're too late," Shadow Lady exclaimed. A figure emerged out of Gordon's office, and she pulled De-Mo into an empty room. As he was about to say something, she pressed her hand against his mouth to silence him. A shadow stopped in front of their door, and they held their breath until it moved along. After a couple of minutes, Shadow Lady cautiously stuck her head out the door, and looked both ways down the hall. "Come on, De-mo. The coast is clear," she said quietly.

"Why didn't we get him then," De-Mo asked.

"Because, though we would have had the element of surprise, we don't know where he has the Demon Stone," she replied. "He might not even have it on him. It could still be down at the warehouse."

"Do you think he has that much control over the powers of the Stone," De-Mo asked.

Shadow Lady slowly shook her head. "How else could he have done all this," she replied. "I heard gun fire, yet there's no blood on the ground anywhere. The Stone was protecting him. He has complete control over it." The two stopped in front of Gordon's office and heard the sound of someone crying. As they went inside, the first thing they noticed was the statue of a police officer with her gun raised. Second, they saw a woman crying, and she looked up at the sound of their entrance. "It's the Commissioner's daughter," Shadow Lady said quietly.

"You," Barbara screamed. "This is all your fault!" She stood up angrily, and as she stalked over to Shadow Lady, she smacked her across the face. "You'll pay for what you've done!"

"Is that so," she challenged. Shadow Lady narrowed her eyes, and then snatched off the jacket from around Barbara's waist.

"What do you think you're doing," she demanded, dropping back into a defensive stance.

"Trust me," Shadow Lady replied. "You'll thank me later for this." She tossed the jacket on the floor, and then crossed her arms as it turned into stone. "You would have turned to stone if you had kept it on. The man with the powers must have zapped your jacket."

"But how did you know," Barbara asked.

"Trust me, I just do," she replied.

"Barbara," a man's voice called out. Both Shadow Lady and De-Mo looked towards the door.

"Barbara, is it," Shadow Lady asked. "You've got to keep all the statues safe from harm. Do as I say, and your father, as well as everyone else, will be ok."

"Does this mean there's a way to reverse the process," Barbara asked hopefully. "Answer me," she shouted as Shadow Lady made her way to the window.

She turned towards the other woman slightly. "Just take my advice," she said before jumping out the window. Seconds later, Nightwing came in through the door.

"Barbara, are you okay," he asked. He took her in his arms as she began crying. "What is it?"

"My father," came her muffled replied. "Stonewall got Daddy." Nightwing looked towards the Commissioner and frowned. "Was Shadow Lady here, Barbara?"

"Yes, she just left," she replied. Nightwing went over to the window, looking down towards the ground for any sign of the woman; but she was nowhere to be found. Just then, Batman entered the room.

"Jim," he exclaimed. He kneeled beside the Commissioner and then turned to Nightwing and Barbara. "What happened here? Why didn't you protect the Commissioner?"

"Don't come in here barking at us, Batman," Nightwing retorted. "I was chasing after Shadow Lady, and Barbara couldn't do anything to stop Stonewall. She's lucky she's not in the same condition as everyone else."

"That's no excuse," Batman said in a dangerously low voice. The two men stood glaring at each other, and Barbara stepped in between them.

"This is no time to be arguing," she exclaimed, glaring from one man to the other. "What is wrong with you both? We should be out there, looking for Stonewall. We need to stop him, before this happens to someone else!" She went to her father's desk and slumped down in his chair.

"Barbara, what did Shadow Lady say to you when she was here," Nightwing asked.

"She just told me to keep all the statues safe," she replied. "She hinted that there was a way to return everyone back to normal."

Batman pulled his cape closed around him. "Did she say anything else, Barbara," he asked.

"No, but she did know a lot about Stonewall's powers," she said. "All that we know about him, she seemed to already know." She looked up as Batman put a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry," he said in almost a soft tone. "We'll find a way to help your father."

* * *

The rest of Batman, Nightwing, and Barbara's conversation fell upon deaf ears as Shadow Lady stood up. She had been sitting on the roof of the building, listening to their entire conversation. She heaved a heavy sigh as she shuffled across the top of the building. "We've got to get that Demon Stone soon, De-Mo," she said. "How many times have I said that over the past two days?"

De-Mo smiled sadly. "You need to rest before we go and get it, Shadow Lady," he said. "You're still sore from the fall you took last night. I can tell. A couple of days rest should be enough."

"I can't risk it, De-Mo," she exclaimed. "You heard what Batman said." While the two had been eavesdropping, they learned the identity of Stonewall, as well as what his objectives were.

"Stonewall can zap as many people as he wants, and it won't matter if we seal the stone," De-Mo pointed out.

"Yes, _if_ we seal the stone; and if we fail, then all these people will stay like this forever," she argued.

"We won't fail, Shadow Lady," De-Mo stated. "You need your rest. You're only human, after all."

"Wow, De-Mo, make it sound like a crime," she replied with a crooked grin. "But you have a good point. I am pretty exhausted, so I'll take your advice and rest. Let's go home."

"Hold it," someone shouted from the shadow. They turned towards the sound of the voice, and a boy stepped out.

De-Mo began to laugh. "Who are you, kid," he asked.

"I'm Robin," he replied. "And I can't let you go anywhere. Are you Shadow Lady?"

Shadow Lady stepped into the moonlight and smiled. "Well, aren't you the cutest little thing," she cooed. "I expected Robin to be a lot older than you are, kid."

"And you, uh…" he trailed, taking a good look at her. "What are you wearing," he stammered, as he turned red.

Shadow Lady put a hand on her hip, and laughed. "I'm sure you would appreciate it if you were older, sweetie," she replied.

"Shadow Lady, let's get out of here," De-Mo said as he noticed a red flashing light on Robin's belt.

"In a minute," she replied as she turned back to the boy. "I'll tell you what, Robin. You tell Batman to just give me some space, and everything will turn out right."

"Then why don't you tell me yourself," Batman asked. Shadow Lady jumped in surprise as a pair of white eyes could be seen in the shadow. He stepped out of the shadow, and she rolled her eyes.

"I told you we should have left," De-Mo muttered.

"Be quiet De-Mo," she replied. She turned to Batman and sighed. "Batman, I don't have time for this right now."

"Make time," he ordered. "I want to know how you know so much about Stonewall. How do you know so much about his powers?" The question caught her off-guard, and she shifted from one foot to the other uncomfortably.

"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you," she said finally.

"Try me, Shadow Lady," he said, stepping forward. "You'd be surprised what I would believe."

"There are certain things I can't say," she replied. "Let's just say lives are at stake. Just please accept that answer!"

"I can't help you unless you tell me," he coaxed. "I always get the information I need."

"Not this time, Batman," she said. During the time they were talking, she was slowly making her way towards the edge of the building. "Believe me, if I could tell you, I would." Batman narrowed his eyes as he took notice of her position.

"Wait," he exclaimed as Shadow Lady jumped over the edge. He ran over to where she had just been standing, and saw her land safely on the ground.

"Let's go after her, Batman," Robin said, grabbing his grappling hook. "She's getting away!"

"Leave it for another time, Robin," he replied. "Let's just go home and think up a strategy."

* * *

__

Aimi's room, East Gotham Hotel

"There are certain rules that aren't to be broken that every demon in the Demon World must abide by," Vin told Aimi as the other two members of the Demon World Police Trio held De-Mo captive. "De-Mo, here, broke two of them when he met you and gave you that eye shadow." He paused to look at her meaningfully. "Now you must abide by those rules as well. Since De-Mo gave you the powers to become Shadow Lady, you must not reveal the existence of the Demon World to another human. And, as an extra bonus, the two of you must find the Demon Stones. If any human finds out about them, or Shadow Lady's secret identity, both you, Aimi Komori, and De-Mo will be executed!"

Aimi woke with a start. "Not that dream again," she said softly. Several days had passed since the police station incident, and Aimi had fallen into a small state of depression. All the mistakes that Shadow Lady had made clouded her thoughts, and that, alone, made it hard for her to sleep. Though physically she felt fine, she was in desperate need of reassurance. "It's not fair, De-Mo," she stated.

"What's not fair," he asked. Her statement had come out of the blue, and he had no idea what she was talking about.

"I wish I could tell someone about what's going on," she continued as tears began to well up in her eyes. "I can't tell Bright the truth about what happened that night at Klein's. And now I can't tell Batman how he can help me out. It's driving me crazy!" Finally, the tears began to fall down her face, and she broke down crying. "It's not fair, De-Mo!"

"Aimi, have you considered getting out, and getting some fresh air," he asked. He handed her a tissue as she looked up at him. "Believe me, it will do you some good. Go for a walk, or go get something to eat. Just get out of the room."

"But what will you do," she asked.

"I'll figure out a way to get the Demon Stone," he replied. "We've got to do that tonight." He showed her the newspaper. "Stonewall's attacks have been more frequent lately, over the past couple of days. I can feel Medu's powers growing stronger."

"Alright, we'll go after him tonight," she replied.

"Then go on and get out of here," De-Mo said with a grin.

After she had taken a shower and gotten dressed, Aimi did as De-Mo suggested, and went for a walk. She took in a deep breath of the fresh air, and smiled contentedly. As she passed the sidewalk café, she saw someone she knew. "Hello, Mr. Wayne," she greeted the man, bowing slightly.

"Aimi," he exclaimed as he stood. "What a pleasant surprise! Why don't you join me?"

"Thank you," she replied, taking a seat across from him. _"Wow, he remembered my name,"_ she thought, blushing as she saw him smiling at her. "How have you been," she asked timidly.

"I'm doing as well as can be expected," he said.

"What do you mean by that," she asked. "Have you not been feeling well?"

"Oh, excuse me," he apologized. "A close friend of mine fell victim in the crime wave that has hit the city. He was turned to stone a couple of days ago."

"I'm so sorry to hear that," she said politely, her guilt beginning to nag at her once again.

"Hopefully, everything will turn out ok," he said thoughtfully, turning his attention to her once again. "Well, how about you? Have you been enjoying your stay in Gotham?"

"It has had its ups and downs," she answered truthfully. "I've met some really nice people, but the situation with the stone victims has taken away from the experience some."

Bruce frowned slightly. As he leaned forward, he folded his hands together, and rested his chin on them. "How is that," he asked.

"Well, the fear factor is what I meant," she replied, lowering her gaze to shake the thoughts of how good she thought he looked just then. "Sometimes when I go out, I'm afraid I might be next."

"The city is relatively safe," he commented. "And I'm sure that whoever is doing this will be caught."

Aimi let out a sigh and then looked at Bruce. As he met her gaze, she turned away quickly, embarrassed that he had caught her staring. "Um, this little café reminds me a lot of the one at home," she said after several moments of silence. "It's almost similar to the one I work in."

"Oh really? This is a nice café," he replied. "If you don't mind my asking, what city do you live in?"

This question stumped Aimi. Both she and De-Mo thought it would be best if they didn't reveal where they had come from, and she didn't know how to answer Bruce's question. "Well," she slowly began. "I live outside of the country, actually."

"Excuse me for a minute," Bruce interrupted as his cell phone rang. She smiled politely as he talked on the phone. After he was finished, he smiled at her apologetically. "I'm terribly sorry, but I need to go. I've got some business to take care of."

"No problem, Mr. Wayne," she replied.

"Call me Bruce," he stated, resting a hand over hers. She swallowed nervously, trying to fight back the blush that threatened to cover her face.

"N-next time we meet, then," she stammered. He nodded his head, and then stood up.

"It was nice running into you, Ms. Komori," he said, turning his head as a car pulled up to the curb. His butler, Alfred, stepped out the car and opened the door. "Take care, Aimi. I hope to run into you again."

"You do the same, Bruce," Aimi replied as she, too, stood up. "Good bye." She watched quietly as he got into the car, and Alfred got into the driver's seat. As they drove off, she continued her walk. _"I feel as if a great weight has been lifted from my shoulders,"_ she thought to herself. She balled her fist and gave a determined smile. "Tonight, you're going down, Stonewall," she said aloud. With a laugh, she ran in the direction of her hotel.

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To Be Continued. . .


	5. Escape Into Gotham, Part 05

****

I don't own the rights to any of the characters in this story, nor do I claim them. The idea, however, is mine.

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If you're unfamiliar with Shadow Lady, take a look at the description of the manga series in part one of this fanfic. Otherwise, tread ahead and read on!

****

Escape Into Gotham  
Part 5

* * *

"After tonight, we get to go home, De-Mo," Aimi said. "Then I never have to become Shadow Lady ever again." She took the compact from her vanity drawer, and tossed it onto her bed. "At first it was fun, but recently, all this has caused me is trouble."

"Well, we'll always have great memories, right," De-Mo asked.

"That's right," she exclaimed. She sat down on her bed and looked at him quizzically. "De-Mo, after all this, what will you do?"

"I don't know, Aimi," he replied. "Knowing the Demon World rules, I'll probably be banished once we complete our mission, or fail. And if we fail, it won't matter."

"We won't fail, silly," she stated. She thought silently, and then looked up at her partner in crime. "Would you like to come live with me?"

De-Mo looked at her, surprised. "You want me to… live with you," he asked.

"Of course I do, De-Mo," she replied. "My life changed for the better on the day I met you. The compact might cause trouble for me, but I wouldn't change anything that has happened to us."

As his lower lip began to tremble, De-Mo shook his head. "Well, then I guess I'll stay with you," he said. He gave her a hug, and then sat down on his own bed. He looked at Aimi, and smiled devilishly. "Who knows, maybe Bright will be able to convince you to continue becoming Shadow Lady." He flew up in the air to dodge a pillow that Aimi threw towards him. "Or maybe not!"

"Let's just go get that Demon Stone," Aimi said as she opened her compact. After she transformed into Shadow Lady, she looked at De-Mo. "You still know the way to the docks, right?"

"Yes, I do," he replied.

"Well, then let's go," Shadow Lady exclaimed.

"Don't you think that we should draw this Stonewall guy out into the open," De-Mo asked.

"No, De-Mo," Shadow Lady replied. "We need the element of surprise against him. Besides, the last thing we need is for Batman to get involved. Why do you ask?"

"It's just that I'm worried that something will go wrong," he replied.

"Oh, you worry too much, De-Mo," she replied nonchalantly.

"But…"

"Let's get a move on, already," she exclaimed. The two climbed out the window and zoomed across town. Shadow Lady hopped from rooftop to rooftop, while De-Mo flew after her, lagging behind slightly. "It's not much farther now, Shadow Lady," he shouted. The two came to a stop atop a building, and she cleared her throat.

"You're not telling me something, De-Mo," she stated. She looked at him, with a determined look on her face. "What is it?"

"There's something I should tell you about the suit, Shadow Lady," he began slowly. "The location of the Demon Stone is near some water."

"What does that have to do with the suit, or anything," she asked, confused.

"The suit doesn't react well to water, and neither does the makeup," he replied. "If the suit gets wet, you'll experience a great amount of pain. Also, if the make-up gets wet, your transformation will reverse."

"Well that's just great, De-Mo," she commented. "I guess we'll just have to sneak in there to retrieve the Demon stone. Hopefully, we'll be able to." She looked at him and flashed him a smile. "I just recovered from some injuries, and I don't want to have to again."

"Shadow Lady, don't take this so lightly," De-Mo stated, his tone laced with seriousness. "If your transformation reverses while you're trying to get that Demon Stone, you'll be as good as dead!"

"Lighten up, De-Mo," Shadow Lady replied. "I've got a plan that will get us in and out of there undetected."

"I sure hope it works, Shadow Lady. For your safety," De-Mo mumbled as he followed Shadow Lady west, towards the docks.

Down on the street, below the building that Shadow Lady and De-Mo had just been standing on, a sleek, black car pulled up beside the curb. A figure got out the car, and shot something at Shadow Lady and De-Mo. As the man got back into the car, the passenger turned to him.

"Was that them, Batman," Robin asked his mentor.

"That's them, Robin," Batman replied.

"Was that a tracer you shot at them," Robin asked.

"Yes, we're going to follow her," he said. "She'll probably lead us straight to Stonewall."

"I hope there's a way to reverse the affect of the stone statues," Nightwing said over the Batlink. "Barbara has been too occupied with what happened to her father."

"That's exactly why I had her stay out of it this time," Batman replied. "And that's why you're staying with her. If for some reason, Stonewall were to come after her, she'd make mistakes out of anger."

"I won't argue there," Nightwing said. "But will Robin be able to handle this? Shadow Lady got away from the both of us on more than one occasion, and Robin was distracted by her very easily."

"Hey, I'm sitting right here you know," Robin exclaimed, causing Batman to smirk.

"Yeah, Nightwing," he replied. "Robin will do just fine. Batman out."

As Batman closed the link, Robin turned to him. "Say, do you think Shadow Lady is responsible for what happened, Batman," he asked.

Batman revved the engine and looked over at Robin. "If she's not responsible, then she knows what's going on. And if she knows that, she'll know how to reverse the affects, if there is a reversal."

"Right," Robin replied. He turned on the tracer device he was holding and it beeped to life. After he studied the movement of the dot for several seconds, he turned to his mentor. "Looks like she's headed towards the docks." With the screech of tires, the Batmobile sped off into the night.

* * *

"Shadow Lady, I think you should use an expert change," De-Mo suggested. The two were standing on the roof of the abandoned warehouse, looking down through the window. Below them, Stonewall was sitting at a desk, surrounded by the loot he had collected in his burglaries. "I suggest you use Wild Crimson," he continued.

"Crimson Cat Shadow, huh," Shadow Lady asked. "Good choice, De-Mo!" She took the compact off her wrist and applied the make-up. As her transformation was finished, she did, indeed, look like a cat. The main part of her suit looked like a one-piece bathing suit with sleeves. Like her regular suit, this one was black with a plunging V-neckline down to her stomach, which exposed her bust and navel. Her accessories completed the suit, which included a tail, cat claws, and a headdress shaped like cat ears.

"Now listen, Shadow Lady," De-Mo began. "You'll need to sneak in there and put the Demon Stone into its' isolation box. Don't forget that your transformation only has a ten minute time limit."

"I won't De-Mo," she replied. Suddenly, Shadow Lady stiffened and grew still.

"Hey," De-Mo began, "what's the matter Shadow…"

"Hush De-Mo," she interrupted. "Someone else is on the roof." She turned around and began to run. She leapt into the air, like a cat pouncing on prey, and as she came down, she landed on a figure. Once she realized who it was, she sat back on her knees to keep her weight off of him, however kept him pinned to the ground. "What are you doing here, boy," she demanded.

"I'm doing my job," Robin replied. He realized that his line of sight was eye-level to her bust and began to blush, swallowing hard. "And, uh, I'm here to stop you."

"You know, it's dangerous for you here," Shadow Lady stated, ignoring his comment. "I'd leave if I were you." She turned her head to the side slightly, and then nimbly jumped away from Robin, landing in a crouched position. As if right on time, a net came down in the place she had just occupied, and captured Robin instead. Seconds later, Batman landed beside Robin and pulled the net off of him.

"How did you know," Batman asked simply.

"You can't surprise a cat, Batman," she replied. "But what I'd like to know is how the hell you found me." De-Mo fluttered next to her shoulder and threw something to the ground.

"That's how they found us," he said. "It was a tracking device."

Shadow Lady smashed the device with the heel of her shoe and then looked at Batman angrily. "Damn you, Batman! Why couldn't you just stay out of this? You've just compromised everything!"

"On the contrary, Shadow Lady, you have helped me tremendously," a voice said. Everyone turned to look towards the ladder, where a lone figure stood. He took a step forward and looked at Shadow Lady, uttering a low whistle. "You're not at all like I imagined."

"You're Stonewall, I presume," Batman said. "Or should I say Jimmy Conaway?"

"Jimmy Conaway is dead," Stonewall growled. "He doesn't exist! Like so many of the other victims, he has been turned to stone."

"You're a sick and twisted person," Robin exclaimed.

Stonewall barked out a harsh laugh. "No, boy," he said. "What I am is a man with a mission. I want you dead, Batman, only the trouble was how to get you. Then my lovely little pawn, here, shows up in town." He turned to Shadow Lady and smirked. "The Stone warned me about you, and what you plan to do."

"Why don't you just shut up," she said through clenched teeth.

"Like a moth to a flame, I knew you would come to me, and I knew Bats, here, would keep a close eye on you," Stonewall continued. "If you want the Stone, Shadow Lady, come and take it."

"What are you talking about," Batman asked.

"You see, it's the Stone that gives me my unlimited power," Stonewall replied. "And with it, I'm going to kill you!"

All the while Stonewall was talking, Shadow Lady was remembering what Vin had told her…

_"If you want to save De-Mo's life, you must retrieve the Demon Stones. However, no other human can find out about the Demon World or the Stones, unless they're possessed by the Stone. Also, no other human must find out about your secret identity as Shadow Lady. If they do, both you and De-Mo will die."_

Shadow Lady shook her head as tears formed in the corners of her eyes. "Shut the hell up, you bastard," she screamed. She ran towards Stonewall, and as she jumped towards him, he caught her. "Let me go!"

He began to laugh again, and, carrying her, walked over towards the edge of the building. "They say cats always land on their feet," he said. "Let's see if that's true." As he was about to step forward, Robin threw a batrope towards his ankles, and he tripped, dropping Shadow Lady. She fell over the edge and grabbed a hold of it.

"This isn't my day," she grumbled as she threw her leg up and pulled herself back onto the building. When she got up there, Batman was fighting with Stonewall. Robin, who had been knocked away from Stonewall, limped over to Shadow Lady.

"Are you okay," he asked. He gasped as she began to glow. "Hey, what's going on?"

"Don't worry, kid," De-Mo said. "It's been ten minutes, that's all. Nothing is wrong with her."

"De-Mo, you know what you need to do," Shadow Lady said as she stood up.

"Right, Boss," he exclaimed. He flew over the edge of the building and disappeared.

"Hey, where's he going," Robin demanded.

"Don't worry about it," Shadow Lady replied. She ran towards Stonewall and kicked him in the back. He stumbled forward and Batman upper-cutted him, sending him staggering backwards. Batman pulled his cape around him and slowly made his way towards Stonewall.

Stonewall smirked as he wiped blood from the corner of his mouth. "You think you two can double team me," he demanded. He swung at Batman and connected with his chin, sending him flying backwards. Then, he threw some of his power towards Shadow Lady. She moved, however, and it hit Robin instead, turning him into stone instantly.

"Oh no," Shadow Lady gasped. Stonewall charged at her, and picked her up by the throat.

"Sorry sweetheart, but you're in the way," he said. He raised her above his head, and threw her off the building. As she felt herself falling, she squeezed her eyes shut.

_"Oh God, this is it,"_ she said to herself. Her eyes flew open as water rushed over her head, and electricity seemed to spread over her body. Pain shot over her body as she swam for the surface, and as she broke the turf, she gasped for air. Slowly, she swam towards the shore and collapsed on the ground. As she lay in the sand, her transformation reversed, and she closed her eyes in exhaustion.

* * *

Batman slowly sat up and shook his head to clear his vision. The first thing he saw was a stone statue of Robin with a surprised look on his face. The second thing he saw was Stonewall standing at the edge of the building. As Stonewall turned back around towards Batman, his eyes grew huge. Stonewall had lost his human appearance and now literally looked like a demon. He smiled at Batman evilly as he began to speak.

"I've waited a long time for this chance, Batman," he said. "You've always managed to put me away, but not this time. I was a fool for being a follower instead of a leader. Now it's time to take my place in the crime circle."

"Do you honestly think that you'll be able to overthrow some of the most influential crime leaders," Batman asked. "I've come up against the best, Stonewall. The Joker, Two-Face, the Riddler… They would never listen to you."

"I'll destroy anyone who opposes me," Stonewall screamed maniacally. He smirked as Batman threw a batarang towards him, and it hit an invisible shield. He breathed in deeply as an aura of power surrounded him. "You see, Batman? My powers have been growing stronger. Soon, I won't even have a use for the Stone." With inhuman-like speed, Stonewall rushed over towards Batman and punched him in the side. "Does it hurt much," he taunted. He continued to pummel Batman until he fell down to his knees.

Batman stood up shakily and spit out blood. "Why go after the Commissioner," he demanded. "Why didn't you just come right after me?"

"That would have been too easy," Stonewall replied as he delivered a punch to his midsection. He grabbed Batman by the neck, and slammed him against the side of the shack that was on top of the building. The hand against Batman's throat began to glow, and as Stonewall removed it, a stone shackle encircled Batman's throat. "Just like it would be too easy for me to kill you now." He smiled evilly as he walked over towards Robin's statue.

"Leave him alone," Batman shouted. He struggled against the shackle, but to no avail. "I swear I'll make you pay if you touch him!"

"Oh, I don't think so, Batman," Stonewall replied. "I'm going to enjoy watching you suffer." As he raised his arms to smash the statue, electricity wrapped around his body. "What the hell," he exclaimed. He screamed in pain as the electricity spread over his body. His eyes began to roll back, and his body seemed to sink inward. When the action stopped, he fell into a heap on the ground. Smoke was rising off his body, and his clothes hung loosely around him.

"Robin, can you hear me," Batman shouted as he struggled against his bindings. He looked up as he felt a presence on the rooftop. Standing there was Shadow Lady. She was wearing her Sapphire Bird suit. Like her previous suits, this one looked like a one-piece bathing suit with sleeves. She also had wings, which enabled her to fly, and a feathery headdress. "Shadow Lady, what's going on," Batman asked.

"I suppose you have many questions," she began. "But I'm afraid I can't answer any of them. Thank you, Batman. You've helped me do what I came here to accomplish. Everyone that has been turned to stone, will be turned back to normal as long as their statue was kept safe."

"And what about Stonewall," he asked.

"You won't have any trouble from him any longer," she replied. She winked at him, and then blew him a kiss. "It's been fun, Batman." And with that, she jumped off the building and flew into the night. Moments later, Batman fell to the ground. As the sound of sirens filled the air, Batman rushed over towards Robin, whose statue was beginning to crumble.

* * *

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Gray City Airport

As Aimi stepped through the arrival gate, she looked around the terminal. "Home sweet, home," she said softly. She made her way towards the Baggage Claim Area to retrieve her bags.

It had been three days since De-Mo had sealed Medu away in the isolation box. After Shadow Lady flew away from where Batman was, she met up with De-mo, who proudly showed her his accomplishment. He returned immediately to the Demon World to hand over the final stone to Vin. Aimi had spent the rest of her time finally relaxing, and enjoying the sights of Gotham before she had to take her flight back to Gray City.

_"Demota should already be at home,"_ she thought. _"Hopefully, he didn't make too big of a mess."_ She shook her head as she remembered what had happened that night. _"He got that Demon Stone sealed away just in time,"_ she thought to herself. She smiled at the thought of her now permanent roommate, a warm feeling washing over her as she realized she had helped save the 'lil guy's life. "Good old Demota," she said aloud.

After Aimi got her bags, she made her way towards one of the exits. As she rounded the corner, she stopped as she saw a familiar face. "Hey Aimi," Bright greeted.

"Bright," she exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I ran into your brother on my way out this morning, and he told me you were arriving today," he began. "I thought it was weird that he was back, and you weren't, but he told me what happened while you were on vacation."

Aimi gasped inwardly, and she began to turn red. "H-he d-did," she stammered.

"Yeah," Bright replied. "He told me that he got sick, and you insisted that you come back with him, but he said your Uncle Vin would check up on him."

"Uncle Vin," she asked, confused. It clicked in her head just who _"Uncle Vin"_ was, and she smiled. "Oh, right!" She glanced over at Bright, and cleared her throat. "So why are you here?"

"Well, your brother told me your arrival time, and I wanted to surprise you and take you home. That way, you wouldn't need to call a cab," he replied. "I hope you don't mind."

"O-of course not! That's really sweet of you, Bright," she exclaimed. She turned a bright shade of red. _"I can't believe he actually wants to be around me,"_ she thought happily. _"Maybe it won't be so bad not being Shadow Lady after all."_

"Here, Aimi," Bright said, interrupting her thoughts. "Let me take your bags." His hands brushed across hers as he took her bags, and he flashed her a smile. "So tell me, how was your trip," he asked as the two made their way out the terminal. "Did anything exciting happen?"

"Well actually, yes," she replied, looking up at him and flashing a smile. "I met some very interesting people."

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The End.

* * *

This is probably my shortest "series." Hmm ... I don't know about that ending, though. I'd really like to know what you thought, readers! Don't forget to leave your comments.


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